Mira stood at the diving board. Three summers before that, she had slipped on the wet edge. Now she gripped the rail, and after a moment she jumped. Which phrase signals that the story moves back to an earlier time?

Ben keeps his ruler in his bag and will not lend it. He checks his answers twice, writes only in pencil, and sits by the door. He remembered the day a classmate snapped his last ruler. What does that memory explain?

Lola set the empty pot down on the wooden table. She wiped her hands slowly on her apron. Back when the farm was hers, she had cooked rice for twelve people. The pot felt strangely light in her hands now. Where does the flashback begin?

Ana stared at the empty seat. Two years earlier, Pia had shared that desk with her. They had traded snacks and jokes. The bell rang, and Ana opened her notebook. What brings the story back to the present?

Coach called Ramil forward and handed him the captain's band. Before that season, Ramil had missed practice for a whole month. He held the band with both hands. Which event happened first in time?

A writer wants to move a story back to an earlier time. Which wording does that job: "Long before that night", "Early the next morning", or "From that day onward"?

Nena checks her bag three times before school. She walks with her cousin, eats at six, and sits in the front row. In Grade 3, she left her project on a jeepney and never got it back. What does the earlier day explain?

Marco tightened his shoelaces at the starting line. Two years before that, he had tripped in the final lap. He shook out his arms and waited for the whistle. The words "Two years before that" signal a shift to an earlier time.

Read this short text: "Yesterday Lito cleaned the yard. He swept the dry leaves into a pile and burned them." This text contains a flashback.

Tina would not touch her guitar. She remembered the morning her strings snapped in front of the class. She pushed the case under the bed. Which words signal that the story moves back to an earlier time?

Jomar arrives an hour early for every trip. Back when he was nine, he missed the bus to his cousin's wedding. He sits by the door and waits. What does the earlier trip show about Jomar now?

Sara hums while she paints. Back when she was seven, her aunt let her paint the wooden fence. Today she fills the whole paper with blue. Which phrase signals the time shift?

Kuya Elmer never wastes rice. He sings while cooking, eats late at night, and cooks for the whole family. During the flood years, his family had shared one small pot each night. What does the flashback explain?

Rina hands her medal to her little sister. Long before the fiesta, their mother had taught them both to dance. Rina smiles and steps back. Which event happened first in time?

Dina opens the box of shells. The summer she turned eight, her father had filled it for her. By the end of the week, she will give it away. Which phrase points back to an earlier time?

Paolo stays away from the karaoke machine. He arrives early, eats two plates, and claps for every singer. In Grade 4, his voice cracked during the school program. What does the earlier program explain?

A story opens with a boy who refuses to ride a bicycle. The next part shows the day he fell from one and hurt his wrist. Why did the writer add that earlier day?

Which one tells the reader that a story is going back in time: "The night before the exam, she had lost her notes", "The next night, she found her notes", or "Every night, she reads her notes"?

Marisol pushes her box of crayons to the middle of the table. In Grade 2, she had no crayons of her own for a whole year. She tells everyone to take one. What does the earlier year show about her now?

Two harvests before, the rain had ruined Nico's whole crop. His father had sold the carabao to pay for new seed. Nico checks the sky and works faster. Which one tells what is happening now?